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Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Craft Group: Dream Catchers...

Native Americans believe that the night air is filled with both good and bad dreams. A dream catcher hung over or near your bed and swinging freely in the night air, catches the dreams as they flow by.

Good dreams pass through the dream catcher; they slip through the central inner hole and gently slide down the soft feathers to the sleeping person below. Bad dreams get tangled in the woven web and perish with the first light of the new day.

In the past couple of years I have made quite a few dream catchers. The first is pictured above; I made it for my big girl just before her baby sister was born

The central 'spider' is a flourite crystal; chosen to help ease the transition from only child to big sister. The beads, shells, seed pods and feathers were given to her by friends as a 'big sistering' gift, the feathers were all collected by her when she was just a wee girl ...I kept them in a treasure box with other little things she gave to me.

When the wee girl moved to her own room I made her one too.

Her 'spider' is clear quartz; chosen because it harmonises all the chakras ~ it is the master healer, amplifiying energies and thoughts and drawing off negative energies of all kinds. Some of her beads and seeds are from my blessingway celebration, others I just liked... the feathers I collected as they blew past me in the breeze.

I have made others for friends when their babies were born; for a little girl whose brother died in a horrible accident and she kept having nightmares...I made a couple today to sell at the craft stall at the school fair; it felt a bit odd making but not knowing. Still, they look pretty.

If you would like to make one there are simple instructions at your fingertips with google but I like this one and for more information there are some interesting and wise words here.

8 comments:

Shannon, these are really lovely. Thanks for the info too! One of my girls has had one over her bed for years and says that on the odd occasion that it is moved she has more 'disturbing' dreams! Interesting.

These are beautiful, in such a strong yet quiet way. So meaningful. We have dream catchers as well, though two were purchased at a pow-wow, and one was a gift. I love the idea of making our own, and really, really love the idea of adding some of the beads from my Littlest's Blessing to her dream catcher. I will be following those links.

Oh, have you ever heard that the bad dreams need to be shaken out of it from time to time? My children told me this and swear by it. I have no idea where they heard such a thing, but they are definitely soothed by shaking it out when a nightmare has managed to creep in.